


You Can't Save Me

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Gay, M/M, Soulmates, cute though, did i say gay, i LOVE THEM TOO MUCH SAVE ME, possibly multiple chapter, probably smut, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 06:43:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7607812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Days like these are great for Hinata. He gets to play volleyball, and its even better when its with a handsome stranger. But what happens when this perfect day spirals insanely out of control? What if Hinata is indebted to the stranger forever?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> Well here's a second fanfic by yours truly, I really hope this is okay. If I end up not liking it as much I'll probably delete it. Anyway, please enjoy! Thank you very much!

The moon shimmered brightly as Hinata strolled down the road, looking down at his phone. The screen was lit up and reflected in his dark brown orbs. The small boy did look up once in a while, to make sure he didn't trip on anything, although he stumbled once or twice on a crack in the road.

He continued to walk, with the phone in his hands and feet scuffling against the pavement. He had almost reached his destination.

He looked up at the sign of the convenience store, and smiled slightly at the "open" symbol. He shoved the phone into his back pocket, and did a short skip before walking between the sliding doors.

"Welcome," came from behind the counter, and Hinata looked up and smiled at the woman painting her nails jadedly. He walked over to the snack aisle and glanced at the small bags of potato chips, then continued to walk to the magazine aisle. He picked up a fashion magazine, skimmed through it, then dropped it again. Hinata began to wonder why he came here again.

He snapped his fingers in realization. "Right," he whispered to himself, and walked back up to the counter lady.

Before he could get in a word, the doors swung open and in came another customer. 

He was tall, semi-muscular, and had a hoodie on over his face. Hinata squinted at the stranger, then turned back to the lady. 

He opened his mouth once more, but was interrupted again. 

"Do you guys sell volleyballs here?" The stranger said, and from the voice Hinata could tell it was a teenager, maybe not too far from his own age. He whipped around again, wondering if he knew this person.

"Excuse me, but I was asking her something."

Hinata said, and repeated the same question the other male had asked. She stuck out her thumb to the back of her, and said, "There's a few more left, if you want them."

Hinata thanked her, and followed the stranger to the aisle the lady had pointed to. Hinata couldn't help but notice the "slight" height difference. He practically towered over him, and the view from behind him was incredibly intimidating. Suddenly, Hinata had an overwhelming urge to take off the hoodie.

The stranger in front stopped, and Hinata bumped into him. Rubbing his nose, Hinata looked up at him again. "Hey, why did you-"

Hinata's jaw dropped as he witnessed the shelves in front of him.

There were, quite honestly, not that many. But to Hinata, it was like volleyball heaven. The smell of the fresh leather made Hinata's nose twitch in excitement, and he dashed forward to pick his favorite.

The stranger also reached out, and their defined hands met as they grabbed the same volleyball. Hinata huffed and let go. The stranger snorted slightly and took the volleyball, reaching with his other hand to take off his hoodie.

Hinata kept his eyes fixed on the mysterious stranger. For some reason he felt oddly attracted to him, as if he might have known him before. 

When he removed his hood, Hinata sharply inhaled and looked away.

The stranger was really handsome. As in, Hinata was really attracted to his face. The tall teenager "towered" over the orange haired boy, and a smirk was plastered on his flawless face. His dark blue eyes glowered at him, and his stark black hair ruffled slightly as the rest of the hoodie fell off his head. His gaze was so intense, Hinata felt extremely uncomfortable just standing in front of him. He quickly grabbed a volleyball off the shelf and scurried to the register, where he slammed a ten dollar bill on the counter. Wanting to get out of there ASAP, Hinata murmured "Keep the change," and ran out of there, cradling his volleyball.

Looking behind him as he ran out of the store, Hinata couldn't help but blush slightly at the sight of the stranger paying for his volleyball. Maybe he would meet him again someday. They both had shown in interest in volleyball, who knew? It just might happen.

_("Stop! What the hell are you doing?!")_

Hinata stopped running as he neared his house, unlocked the door and went straight to his room. He collapsed on the bed smiling like an idiot and fell sound asleep. Tomorrow would bring a

_(terrifying)_

new day. He felt it resonate inside his bones. Tomorrow, he _knew_ he would meet the stranger again.


	2. Second Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata meets the stranger just like he thought he would, but will this encounter go the exact opposite as how he planned?

The sun was shining just as brightly as Hinata was.

Today he would try and find the towering stranger in a city of over 2.3 million.

Okay, maybe he wouldn't find him right away. But he knew for a fact that he would see him again in the very near future.

He spun the new volleyball in his hands as he happily strolled along the sidewalk, feeling the warm material roll over the crevices in his palms. He giggled slightly as he saw two squirrels chase each other up a tree.

Today was a great day

_(was it?)_

and Hinata felt like he could take on anything.

 

* * *

 

Hinata reached the public volleyball courts in a local gym and creeped past the taller high school students that were standing by the entryway.

He held the ball and bounced it a couple times, as if he didn't already know it was fully inflated and ready to be spiked.

Hinata's brown orbs lit up as he joined a court with 3 other people, waving to them shyly and putting down his new volleyball so he could play with theirs, feeling a pang of sadness. 

He didn't check out their features exactly, but if he had, he would've probably moved to a different court. These players were tall, taller than he could ever hope of being. He smiled, ready for the match.

 

* * *

 

 The score came out to 1-2. The main reason Hinata's side won the first set was because of his teammate, who set incredibly well and did most of the serving, too. The rest just went downhill from there, when his partner decided to get lazy and the other team kept blocking his spikes.

Sweating, he congratulated them and picked up his volleyball, looking for another competitor.

Walking around the gym for what seemed like an eternity searching for a partner, he gave up and started to walk towards the exit, a little disappointed on how his encounter had gone.

A _thump._ And a, "Hey, watch where you're going, dumbass!"

Hinata looked up at the stranger he had knocked into apologetically, then stopped. 

It was  _him._

The tall and handsome stranger. He met him again, just as he had predicted. It almost seemed like a dream how fake it seemed. He flashed his award winning grin, earning a scowl from the stranger. 

"Oh, um, I'm sorry for that. Hey, would you like to practice with me? Volleyball, I mean." Hinata shuffled his feet but kept his eyes on the prize.

He scoffed and pulled his hair to the side, dragging him along painfully to the exit. "In your dreams. I'm just here to practice serving, and sadly, you don't look like a particularly strong player. Go find a wall to practice on, will you?" And he walked away. Hinata couldn't help but notice his amazingly strong thighs and legs as they hit the ground one after the other. 

He gulped down his observations and pattered after him, determined to play a match with this guy, not even because he was hot anymore. He wanted to put this jerk in his goddamned place. 

"I may look small, but I can jump!" Hinata proudly proclaimed. 

"And where is that going to get you?" 

Hinata cocked his head. "What?"

The stranger turned around, and stuck out his hand. "My name is Kageyama. I play as a setter for my team, and from what I've seen about people who can jump really high, is that that's all they can do, to put it blindly. Now the people who can hit hard, and break through blockers, they're the ones that are getting points. The high jumpers don't mean anything to the 6' and up blockers who can jump to block that measly amount of space between you and victory." Here, he leaned in, clenching Hinata's hand firmly, but in a way, reassuringly. "If you can meet the rest of the volleyball standards, maybe then you'll have a chance."

He let go of the now throbbing hand of Hinata and sighed. "But, if you really want to practice with me, feel free. I guess I could use a partner, seeing as I don't have any friends nearby." 

Hinata was still riled up after Kageyama's speech, but still nodded enthusiastically after hearing his offer. He skipped after him, feeling a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.

 _"He's not that bad, if you look past his many layers of anger and impoliteness."_ Hinata scoffed as he got in position to receive his serve.

_"But, today hasn't been bad. And I'm going to beat this jerk for sure!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WAS SO SHORT IM SORRY!!!  
> hmm again not sure if i like this story so far..would 1 of u so kindly leave a comment w some constructive criticism?? i feel like im doing something horribly wrong. thank u very very much!! and this will hopefully go farther uphill, im just getting started. wink wink. plus im going 2 be adding some smut to this, so keep reading 4 that ig. ;*


	3. Indebted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something goes terribly wrong, but Hinata can make the best out of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get so lazy these days sigh...  
> these chapters are rly short, I sure hope whoever is reading this doesn't mind. hopefully I can get up to at least 900 words each chapter. but then would any read it? i need help.  
> groan.

"What's your name, by the way?" 

Hinata snapped out of his trance-like gaze and peered at Kageyama from the other side of the net.

He was spinning the volleyball in his hands, and staring at him expectantly.

"Oh yeah, I'm Hinata Shouyou!" He put his hand on his chest. "I'm the ace for my team!"

A brief moment of silence, then laughter.

Kageyama had dropped the volleyball and clutched his stomach, doubling over laughing. "You?! The ace?! You're kidding me, right?" 

Hinata smiled awkwardly and looked at the ground. Sure, he wasn't the ace yet. But was it that hard to believe?

He shook his head. "Ha, yeah. I'm joking. I'm not the ace. But I'm gonna be!" He said, determinedly.

Kageyama stopped laughing once he saw the look of seriousness on the boys face. He picked up the volleyball and pointed it at him.

"Fine. Then I won't hold back."

 _Shit,_ Hinata thought, suddenly feeling sick. He had only known this guy for 5 minutes, but he felt so strongly towards him that he thought Kageyama would be an...okay friend. At least a friend to the point where they practiced together, trying to make each other stronger.

All thoughts of friendship slipped his mind as the ball came flying forward and hit him square in the face.

Hinata made a sort of "puah" sound and toppled over. Kageyama walked forward calmly, but looked irritated.

"That just lost you a point, dumbass. Obviously, you're not at all fit to be an ace."

Kageyama's eyes widened slightly as Hinata stood back up right away, and picked up the volleyball, throwing it back at him.

"Serve again, and again, until I receive it perfectly back to you." He wiped his mouth and got back into position. If this didn't show that jerk what he was really made of, then nothing would.

But Kageyama simply went back to his side of the net and got ready to serve again, once again unfazed by Hinata's determination. He served, and the game began.

* * *

 

After a few more serves (and miraculous receives on Hinata's side), Hinata's throat began to feel sore, and told Kageyama to wait for a second while he went to get a drink.

He walked to the water fountain and leaned over, drinking the lukewarm yet refreshing water. As he sipped quietly, he thought about Kageyama.

What school was he from? Was he even the same age as Hinata? How is he so good at volleyball? Who was his trainer? Questions tumbled one after another 

_(everything is falling apart)_

as Hinata stood back up. Suddenly, he snapped back into reality.

The entire gym was crumbling down. People were screaming, running, terrified of a piece of cement falling on their heads. Volleyball nets were crushed as rubble fell from the ceiling. A person pushed past him, crying, and he turned around to see that their entire arm from the tricep down had been scratched immensely, revealing parts of bone and blood. Hinata became terrified as well, and screamed

_(for Kageyama? Help? who cares please just someone help me what's happening am I going to die)_

as loud as he could.

"Stop! What the hell are you doing, idiot?!"

A humongous impact and Hinata was on the floor again with something covering him. He blacked out.

_Questions can't always be answered. People you meet now may never see you again. How dare you think that you're special? You're no different from the rest of them. Alone. Scared. Hurt. Don't begin to believe for a second that, because you have him, you're different from them. Exceptional. Well, I suppose you got lucky this time. But what goes around, comes around._

_And you'll be stuck with him for as long as you live._

_Let's see how you enjoy that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aa! i hope this is good!!  
> i was so surprised when i got a couple of comments on the last chapter!! i was so intent on the belief that nobody read these things!! but seriously i appreciate /any/ feedback i get, except for hate bc that makes me sad.  
> i love the way this is going so far!! anything u guys have that can make it better??


	4. Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata's survived, but at exactly what cost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aa I couldnt wait to upload this chapter!!!  
> \+ i start making the chapters longer, which means there's going to be a longer period of time between the publication of each chapter. so instead of abt 2 days between each chapter, it'll probably go up to 4. thank u for ur patience!

Luckily, there was no damage done to the either of them.

Them, meaning, Kageyama and Hinata. 

Kageyama had had a rock hit him quite square on the head during the collapse, but when Hinata offered to take him to a professional doctor, he declined, saying he had a thick skull. 

Although, Hinata and Kageyama were just two of the few people who got out unharmed. 

There had been approximately 47 people in the gym, and including the two boys, 8 had gotten out safe. The rest, excluding 3, had been rescued from the rubble, appearing with multiple scars on their body and in the worst cases, broken limbs.

The other 3 had not been found, and were determined missing.

But everyone knew what happened to them.

The collapse was a result of only one thing, the building was quite old, and nobody had really followed up on the service routines. At least, that's what the news people had said.

Hinata was still dazed, as he had just recovered from his blackout. He had no recollection of what happened just before he passed out, and he didn't know why Kageyama was glaring at him like that.

"What in the hell were you doing, just fucking standing there?! Why didn't you move??" he yelled, now almost snarling at the smaller boy.

Hinata simply just looked up at him. The words spoken in his head were still ringing, and he could still hear some echoes here and there. He had no idea what the words meant. 

He looked down once more, feeling tears well up in his light brown orbs. 

"Do you...remember me?" he said, barely above a whisper.

Kageyama groaned and turned the other way. "What the heck? No. How the hell would I remember you." 

Hinata got up and dusted himself off. "At the convenience store. We both bought volleyballs together, and I kinda ran out."

Recognition flashed in Kageyama's eyes, and he slowly nodded, then pointed a finger. 

"That was you?? Woah, and we met again today." He squinted his eyes. "Are you...stalking me?"

Hinata desperately shook his head, although it hurt a bit. "No." He decided not to tell him how obsessed he was with him.

Kageyama stepped forward. "I do hope you know that you're not simply, going home after all this."

Hinata's breath nearly stopped as Kageyama gripped his shoulders.

"Oh, no. You're coming with me, and we're going to talk about how you're paying me back."

Hinata shrugged his surprisingly strong hands off his shoulders and crossed his arms. "Excuse me?"

The taller boy looked back at the wreckage. "When...it started to crumble, I saw you just standing there. Looking around. As if your feet were chained to the ground. Then, you screamed. I ran over as fast as I could, without even realizing...like, an unknown force was pulling me to you." Hinata shuddered at that part. "Then, a huge piece of rubble fell right above your head. Risking my own goddamn life to save your dumb ass, I pushed you out of the way, also covering your body with mine." He stopped and glanced at Hinata.

 "I can't believe I saved a complete stranger's  _life_ just because something told me to." 

In Hinata's honest opinion, he thought it was pretty great. But now didn't seem like the best time to tell Kageyama that.

He stood silently next to Kageyama, unsure of what to say. Wasn't this overdoing it? What in the world did Hinata have to do to thank Kageyama for saving his life?

"Just, come to my house and we'll figure this all out, okay?"

Kageyama's voice was suddenly soft and relaxing, and Hinata nodded.

* * *

 

As they walked down the road, multiple police, firefighters, and news crews pulled up in front of the messy scene. They had barely escaped the questioners, but they would find out who they were and where they were eventually. The press always does.

The sky was starting to turn a dark lavender color, as the afternoon faded into evening. It was around this time that Hinata met Kageyama for the first time. 

He pondered what would have happened if he wasn't so obsessed with seeing him again. Would this whole thing still happen? Why was he so obsessed with him in the first place?

Hinata had to choke down all the questions he was dying to ask. In the past hour, over a bazillion questions were bouncing off one another, and split into two completely different and new questions when they touched each other.

But one was really standing out in his mind.

_(what was that voice trying to tell me?)_

The echoes of that voice had been haunting him since he awoke from passing out. He still didn't know what any of it meant, and why it was telling him he wasn't so special.

He looked up next to him, scanning Kageyama. He didn't seem very pleased. Hinata decided to be brave and touched his arm lightly.

Kageyama flinched. "Hey, we're alright. Right?" Hinata said, starting to wrap his fingers around his wrist. Kageyama thought for a second, then politely brushed off his hand. "Yeah. I guess so."

 

* * *

 

After about 5 more minutes of awkward silence, Kageyama stated that they were home, and Hinata looked over the building.

It was just a regular old apartment complex, but Hinata had never been in one, since he lived in a house. Kageyama led the way, Hinata trailing slowly behind. When they reached the door to Kageyama's apartment, he unlocked it and announced, "I'm home." 

Frantic scuffling of feet could be heard as a middle aged woman ran towards Kageyama and hugged him tightly. "Are you okay?? I saw everything on the news. Are you alright?! Oh my goodness if you were hurt..."

Kageyama kissed the woman on her cheek and smiled slightly. "I'm fine, mom. Really."

After being reassured that her son was alive and well, she moved on to Hinata, giving him a questioning glance.

"And who might this be? One of your friends?" 

Kageyama looked at Hinata. "...Yeah. I saved his life."

Hinata could barely hold back a smile when he heard Kageyama agree to being his friend, but that temptation almost disappeared immediately when his mother gasped and grabbed his shoulders.

"Oh my Lord are you alright, sweetie?" Hinata nodded and stuck out his hand. "I'm Hinata Shouyou. It's nice to meet you." She took his hand and shook it firmly. "I'm Tobio Mei, Kageyama's mother, as you could probably tell. Please, have a seat." She gestured to the kitchen table. 

 Hinata took a seat. As did Kageyama.

The silence was almost deafening as Kageyama rubbed his thumbs over the table's ridges and his mother looking at Hinata. Kageyama cleared his throat and faced Hinata.

"Like I said before, you owe me." 

"Why?"

"Because I saved your life, that's why!"

"Isn't a thank you enough? I don't know what else I could possibly do."

Kageyama rubbed his temples. "I need to keep you in my sights at all times. Until I figure out what to do with you, you basically are living with me. Now don't take this as a sign that we're now friends or whatever. Maybe we'll learn to tolerate each other, but right now, you're indebted to me."

"What the heck, you're making it sound like I'm your slave or something! I have my own family, you know!"

Kageyama's face contorted into something that seemed to resemble irritation. 

"I get that, idiot, but you're missing the point. I need you to transfer schools. I need you to go to the same clubs as me. Get all the same classes. Anything where I can make sure you're not going to back out on this."

Hinata tried to interrupt again, but Kageyama stuck out his hand.

"This is only for the time being!! Just stay around me until I figure out what the hell I want you to do." 

Hinata glanced at Kageyama's mother, who hadn't said a single word since Kageyama declared his proposal.

To Hinata, this whole thing was stupid, but then again, so was Kageyama. He didn't know why he couldn't just thank him and move on! He breathed out and laid his hands on the table, examining his fingers.

"Fine. I don't understand what's happening, but fine."

Kageyama stuck out his hand. "Deal?"

Hinata hesitated. Once again, the words rang in his head

_(not special different from the rest have him stuck as long as you live)_

and jumbled up his thinking. Finally, after what seemed like years, he stuck out his hand as well and clasped Kageyama's.

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some shameless self promo here rip  
> if u guys like kagehina, check out my one shot "Just One Umbrella " !! its a super short one shot that includes cuddling at the end. v short, tho. like maybe 2,000 words?? it's good tho, i believe!  
> well would u look at that, I'm having so much fun writing this!!! there are just so many creative flows n it just feels great!


	5. Shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama couldn't be enjoying this predicament, right? I mean, anyone would enjoy a cute boy basically indebted to you for who knows how long.

Kageyama closed the door behind Hinata on his way out. He allowed him to go tell his family about what happened just a few hours before, but instructed him gently to come back and tell him what they said.

He sighed as he turned around and faced his mother. 

"Kageyama. What are you planning to do? The boy is right, you can't just keep him prisoner." She placed two hands on his shoulders. "I'm proud of you for saving him, but I think you're taking this a bit far?" 

He clenched his teeth and angrily shrugged off her delicate hands, earning a wince from the older woman. 

"Please, mom. I know what I'm doing." And with that, he stormed off to his room.

He flopped on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. He didn't know why he was so interested in the boy. He was a complete stranger, only a practice partner to step on to get better at volleyball. 

Why did he want to be closer to him? What was it about Hinata that was so...attractive? 

Kageyama shook his head intensely, blushing slightly. Not  _that_ kind of attractive. The attractive where no matter what he did to get away from him, something would always tell him to stay closer, to get to know him.

He sat up. Almost like he was meant to know him. 

He grabbed his phone and chose his volleyball team's captain from the contacts list. 

 

**2016, August 27th.**

_sent 7:06 p.m. ✓_

Daichi-san, theres a new student transferring & he missed tryouts. would it be alright if he joined anyway? thank u

_read 7:09 p.m. ✓_

Sure thing Kageyama! Can you give me his name and where he's from? Possibly age too?

 

Kageyama sighed. He barely knew anything about Hinata other than he owed him big time. And that he was a giant pain in the-

He inhaled sharply. Now wasn't the time to be chastising Hinata. Although it was his fault, right now he had to get him to join his volleyball club. He picked up his phone once more.

 

_sent 7:12 p.m. ✓_

sorry, i can't answer much. i know he's my age, and his name is Hinata Shouyou. but idk which school he's from 

_read 7:14 p.m. ✓_

That's fine! I'll see what I can do.

 

 Kageyama saw that his phone was at a dangerously low level and plugged it in on the side of the wall. He was beginning to feel all the energy from the recent events leave his body, and yawned. 

Without even changing out of his clothes, and forgetting that Hinata was coming over in about 10 minutes, he slipped under the covers and fell sound asleep.

 

* * *

 

Hinata covered his red face as he saw Kageyama snoring peacefully in his bed. He almost felt like joining him, it looked so comfortable.

He wrote out a note and stuck it to his forehead, making him giggle a little. Kageyama shifted and Hinata practically shot out of his room like a bullet. 

As soon as he was sure that Kageyama was still sleeping and not, in fact, about to tear his head off, he silently closed Kageyama's bedroom door 

_(fuck-)_

and stepped a few feet away. He ran his hand through his hair and

_(scream louder for me)_

decided to go to his own house to sleep. It had been a long day after all, and having met Kageyama and the whole thing with saving his life, that made his usual energy drop down to a -1 million.

On his way out, he saw Kageyama's mother and waved goodbye. She did the same and sent him a small smile as well.

As soon as Hinata got home, he went to go give Natsu a goodnight kiss, then headed off to his own bedroom, filled with news articles about the Little Giant and the infamous "fallen crows". He wiped his forehead with his long sleeve from his overly large sweatshirt, and laid himself down in his bed.

 _Well, I guess today wasn't the_ best  _day,_ he thought,  _but at least I'll be able to become Kageyama's friend. Eventually._

He drifted off to slumber.

 

* * *

 

Now, usually, in the mornings, Kageyama was never happy. But a sticky note on his forehead sure didn't help soothe his anger. 

He ripped it off furiously and checked to see what it said.

_You looked way too comfortable sleeping, I just couldn't wake you up. I'm excited to go to school with you! - hinata :)_

Kageyama crumpled the note in his hands and threw it in the trash. He would have to make himself even clearer about the "not friends" part of the deal.

He put on some regular clothes, and packed his practice uniform for volleyball club after school. He grabbed a milk box out of the fridge and gave his mother a goodbye kiss on the cheek. Then he set off, telling Hinata via text message to meet him near the "stupid old gym that broke". 

Kageyama, surprisingly, got there before Hinata, even though Hinata was riding his bike there. But they met up soon after, and Hinata had to get off his bike to go at the same pace as Kageyama.

This walk was not like you would expect. For Kageyama, he was expecting more a quiet, possibly awkward 15 minutes. For Hinata, he wanted the 15 minutes to be lively and filled with questions and answers about the other person. It turned out more like Hinata asking questions ("what number are you? in volleyball club, I mean.") and Kageyama answering the questions half-heartedly ("*sigh* 9.").

But the time flew by as Kageyama found himself even asking questions about Hinata, and  _almost_ even smiled once. They arrived quickly at Karasuno High School, and Kageyama couldn't help but notice the look of pure excitement on Hinata's face.

"This is where the Little Giant went!!" He exclaimed happily, shimmering with ecstacy. "I had no idea you went here!"

Kageyama blinked. "Well, yeah. I suppose. Come on, I'll walk you to the administration office to get you in my classes."

Kageyama was really having a lot of fun hanging out with Hinata, he forgot about telling him that they couldn't be friends.

That doesn't really matter now, though.

The wheels of fate were already turning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> such a sappy ending i know.  
> ive forgotten the most important thing (to me at least) introduction!  
> hello i actually go by kageyama, tobio, kags, whichever one. u would like to refer me as and im currently a high school student struggling with deadlines and crippling anxiety. Hinata shouyou actually makes my day, n i also love tøp with all my little heart.   
> there's not much else to kno abt me lol. except that outside from writing I hate using proper grammar idk why that is. maybe introduce yourself?? nice to meet u!


	6. Occurrence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata meets the Karasuno Volleyball club, and fits right in, to Kageyama's surprise.

Hinata put his bike away in the metal racks at the front of the school, not waiting up for Kageyama, despite his constant reminders.

"You dumbass! Do you even know where you're going?!" Kageyama sighed and followed after him.

Hinata looked up at the giant school building and made a sort of "uwaah-" sound, which quickly got cut off by Kageyama's hand slapping down on his head.

"Ouch, Kageyama!! That hurt-"

"I told you to wait up, dumbass. You don't even have your schedule yet." He gestured to Hinata to follow him and walked to the administration building.

In a short amount of time, Kageyama had gotten Hinata's schedule to match his (although 2nd and 6th period were different) for the most part. 

Kageyama had already gotten him accepted into the volleyball club, which was what Hinata was most excited about. He kept the fact that the Little Giant had gone there buried down inside him, but it kept rising back to the surface of his thoughts, along with ideas on how he would get progressively better.

"Kageyama, Kageyama! Where's our first class?" he slowed down to walk next to him.

Kageyama shot him a glance. "You really should just follow me." He continued to walk, leaving Hinata no choice but to follow him, slightly confused. 

But Hinata shook off any fears of confusion and all the effort he would have to put in to catch up to the rest of his classmates. He was with Kageyama, and for some reason - even with the current situation - he felt confident that Kageyama would figure this whole thing out.

Hinata pushed past Kageyama again as they reached their next class, and walked over to the teacher to ask about some assignments and seating arrangements next to his "friend".

 

* * *

 

Hinata had been seated directly in front of Kageyama, which wasn't a problem for the taller boy. He could see the board clearly, even with Hinata's spikey hair right in front of him. He knew Hinata could see the board perfectly as well, and yet he still came up to him after class for his notes.

"Pleaseee?? I was zoning out, I was so excited for volleyball practice later!" Hinata bounced up and down on his toes, a giant beam on his face. Kageyama practically had to shield his eyes.

 He sighed. "You really should've been paying attention. Since you joined after the beginning of school, you really have to catch up. The," he looked around cautiously and dropped his voice to a whisper, "incident can't be a distraction right now. You need to focus on your studies."

After a light hit on the head from Kageyama, Hinata frowned. "I'll get it from you sooner or later! Maybe I'll.." his voice trailed off as he walked to his next class. 

Kageyama watched him leave, wondering whether he really wanted to be Hinata's friend. Sure, he was the brightest person he's met in a while. Sure, he was  _kind of_ attractive. But those small details didn't matter -

_(fuck, Kageyama)_

He gasped suddenly and ran to a bathroom, splashing his face with water. Continuing to snap himself out of it, he slapped himself a couple of times, not seeming to notice the multiple girls standing right behind him, quite surprised.

A few screams and a kick sent him stumbling out of the restrooms, which he found out later was not, in fact, the men's bathroom.

He rubbed his face, trying to get rid of the flustered feeling. What had just happened?? Did he just have a..dirty thought about Hinata?

No, he couldn't have. He barely knew him. Kageyama didn't get attached that quickly...right?

However that thought happened to pass through his mind, he had no idea. He decided to just leave it alone and not brood over it too long.

Reaching into his school bag, he grabbed his binder for the next class and skimmed through a few notes. Something clicked in his brain, and remembered there was a test today. He started to pick up the pace of flipping through, as he hadn't studied the night before.

By the time he reached the classroom, though, the test was already being handed out and Kageyama had a sneaking suspicion he would fail.

 

* * *

 

But the end of the day came before either of them knew it, and they met up where they said they would and rushed to the gym, racing against each other. 

Hinata won just by a smidge, and hopped into the gym with a smile. "Hello!" 

He stopped and looked around the gym. It was huge (in his eyes), and there was at least 12 people stretching in the middle of it. A tall senior looking male walked over and extended his arm with a grin. 

"Ah, you must be Hinata! I'm Daichi, the volleyball club's captain. Come over here and get stretched out and then we can learn a bit about you." He patted him strongly on the shoulder after shaking hands, which Hinata made a little  _oof_ sound afterwards.

Kageyama stood next to a bald headed male, who was trying his very best to scare Hinata, which he thought was working. In reality, Hinata was too nervous to even look around at everybody's faces, and just dropped down and started stretching anxiously.

The bald headed guy frowned and leaned over to whisper in Kageyama's ear. "Hey, what's up with him? Why's he so nervous?" 

Kageyama explained it was his first day here and that he had helped him transfer. 

 Tanaka humphed and continued his stretching, mumbling something about, "how he should look at his new senpai".

Kageyama looked over at Hinata again, not concerned at all for his well being, but surprised that Hinata was getting stressed out by this. The team wasn't that intimidating, and Hinata didn't have any reason to worry. But he knew he would get through it. Hinata was incredibly positive, from what he's seen from him so far. Even after the collapsing of the gym, almost right after, he had returned to his giddy self. Although, it seemed to get duller when Kageyama told him his position in the whole paying back thing, which he was still pondering over. 

Kageyama snapped out of it once he heard Daichi's voice ring out over the group, and scurried to where he was standing.

Hinata was standing shyly next to the tall captain, and seemed super nervous. Daichi patted him on the head.

"This, everyone, is Hinata Shouyou. As I've already told you, he will be joining us in the club. I've done background check on him, and he has experience in volleyball, so please refrain from treating him differently just because he joined later on in the school year. Hinata, won't you tell us about yourself?"

Hinata jumped as Daichi pushed him forward. His entire face went red, and he didn't say anything for a moment. Then words finally emerged from his trembling mouth.

"H-hello, I'm Hinata Shouyou, and, um..I love to play volleyball..I like pork buns..I'm a first-year..and, u-uh..take care of me?"

Silence for a second. Then cheers of acceptance and a rush of feet running toward the small boy. 

Nishinoya had practically jumped into his arms, almost knocking him over along with Tanaka. Suga walked over and petted his hair softly, sending him a welcoming smile. Everybody else just gathered around, introducing themselves. Except for Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, that is.

While Kageyama had walked along with the crowd, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the two boys conversing silently in the back, giggling at times like two schoolgirls exchanging gossip. He frowned and furrowed his brows, walking over to them.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to introduce yourself to him?" Kageyama already thought needed all the help and support he could get, but these two surely weren't helping to make the thought a reality.

Tsukishima pushed up his glasses with a smirk. "I have no use introducing myself to a player that won't be any use to the team. He and I won't play on the same court, ever."

Kageyama suddenly felt incredibly furious, and had to forcefully stop himself from beating up this four-eyes.

"You don't know that. You don't even know him! I've played with him before, he sucks, but he shows potential. He's going to be a great player one day, possibly soon!" Kageyama had no control over the encouraging words spilling out of his mouth, and was confused as to where they had come from.

Tsukishima blinked, then shrugged. "If you all of all people are so sure, then I guess I have no choice but to believe you." He said sarcastically, smirking. Yamaguchi snickered. "Nice, Tsukki."

Kageyama made an odd growl sound in the back of his throat, then walked towards Hinata again before he got in a real fight. He would show him soon enough.

Hinata would be great, and with his help, he would be invincible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter took so long to get published! recently ive been terribly sick n I just haven't been having much creative flow. plus i don't think this story is very interesting at the moment?? maybe it's just me sigh.  
> *update: id love to hear feedback from any of u!! it makes my day to hear from you!


	7. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata's under a lot of stress, and Kageyama makes it worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> read the end notes for a..surprise?? idk if it's rly an interesting surprise just. i don't know send help

Hinata wasn't that bad at volleyball. Yeah, maybe he screwed up from time to time, but it didn't mean he was horrible.

Yet, Kageyama had to ruin the one thing he was confident about. 

"Dumbass if you don't make this serve over the net, I'm gonna..kick your ass!" He had hesitated but quickly recovered with a legitimate threat. Hinata stuck out his tongue playfully, but he was scared to death. 

Would he get kicked out if he didn't make this serve? What would happen then? Kageyama would get mad then tell him to sacrifice his own life to make up for Kageyama saving his. There was endless possibilities.

He held up the ball, visibly sweating, and got ready to serve.

He looked around at the players. As they were playing a two on two game, Kageyama was on the same team as him to show what he already knew.

On the opposing side, there was the captain, Daichi, and the bald senpai, Tanaka. So far, they were winning by 6 points, with 9-3. It wasn't going so well. The only points they had scored had been when Kageyama's serve landed right on the boundary line, which they had thought was out and didn't try to hit it. 

Aside from that, they were basically creaming them. Hinata could see the anger on Kageyama's face, and was worried about what would happen to him if that anger was ever caused by himself.

He took in a breath, and threw the ball in the air. He tracked it in the air, and hit it square in his palm. It made a satisfying " _smack_ " sound, and it went flying across the court.

Hinata let out a long sigh of relief, and realized he had been holding his breath this entire time. But he quickly returned to the court with Kageyama, biting his lip nervously.

Daichi called his, and received it perfectly, setting it to Tanaka.

He grinned, and got ready to spike the ball. "Are you ready for...this?!" he yelled, and swung his arm.

The ball flew up as Kageyama's fingertips just barely grazed the ball, and he screamed to Hinata. "One touch!"

Hinata blinked, and suddenly, the ball was soaring through the air, light bouncing off and going elsewhere. Time seemed to move slowly for Hinata at this point. As the volleyball slowly moved towards him, as he got into position, he reflected on what happened in the past few days.

He still had so many questions to be answered. Nobody could answer them. He was confused, and lost, and there wasn't anyone that could help him.

"Hinataaa!!" Kageyama roared. "It's yours!!"

The ball bounced off his arm and flew to the side. He stood there, dazed. Kageyama just..

"What the hell were you doing?! Am I gonna have to save your ass-??" Kageyama yelled, then caught himself.

Hinata was crying.

"Woah, um-hey, did? Did the volleyball hit you somewhere?" Kageyama stuttered, unsure of what to say.

 Hinata looked down and wiped his eyes. "I'm fine," he whispered, voice not cracking even while crying.

Kageyama stood there stupidly. Why was he so stupid? Couldn't he just give him a hug or something?

"Eh..Daichi? Something happened to Hinata..I think?" He called over the captain, backing away.

"Hinata. What happened? Are you alright?" 

Hinata nodded. "It's nothing. I was just remembering something. Let's get back to the game!" Despite the tear stains on his cheek, he created a smile and even added a small laugh.

The smile was contagious. Daichi smiled too, and patted him. "Well, if you're fine, then we can get back to practice. But if anything else happens, let me know right away."

Hinata nodded again, and they went to their respective sides of the court, with Kageyama eyeing him curiously. As a response, Hinata gave him a thumbs-up, and Kageyama turned back around quickly.

He sighed, and rubbed his cheek free of the stains. He was fine.

 

* * *

 

Hinata had been acting weird since he came to Karasuno. Kageyama didn't find it too odd at first, since he just transferred without knowing anybody except him. But when he got a great serve in  _and_ almost got a point on the court, he didn't understand. When you do great in volleyball, how could you be nervous? 

Anyway, they had lost the game 25-17. When Hinata started crying, their luck seemed to go downhill from there. He kept getting hit in the face, and Kageyama's sets were barely touching his hand. They would have to work on that.

But Daichi congratulated them on a good game, and then the rest of the players continued to practice. Kageyama had walked to where Hinata was sitting and drinking water on the side of the wall.

"Hey," he said, grabbing a water bottle as well.

"Hi." 

"Was there...anything in particular that happened? Maybe something I said?"

"Kageyama, no. You're such a dumbass yourself sometimes."

He glared at him. "You're calling me the dumbass?? I didn't cry in the middle of a match!"

Hinata screeched when he raised his voice, and held up his hands in defense. "Don't yell! I'm sorry for losing the game for us, okay? But they can't all be winners, am I right?"

He grabbed his hair, slightly enjoying the way the soft tufts of hair felt under his hand.

"As long as it doesn't happen again. We've got to focus on practicing. Not to mention we've already got a practice game against Aoba Jousai on Friday. You've got to be at your best." And with that, he took a swig out of the water bottle and stood up, kicking Hinata's leg as he got up. A cry of protest followed him, making him smile - internally, of course.

This idiot was beginning to grow on him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANOTHER SHORT ONE CRIES.  
> ive suddenly got a new spurt of creativity! i don't know what it was but i think im just excited to get to the smut part, it's gonna be good I hope.  
> *edit: I'M DRAFTING A NEW SERIES. it's gonna be a fantasy au, with Kageyama and Hinata as villains! it'll be great but very stressful for me to keep up rip :') stay tuned 4 that!!


	8. Disappearance

"Has anybody seen Hinata lately?" 

Kageyama asked the volleyball club, answered with a few brisk shakes of the head. He thanked them and got ready for practice.

Hinata hadn't been at school all day, and if he had, he hadn't seen him. And he always has an eye out for Hinata. There wasn't any clear way he could hide from him.

Kageyama had to calm himself down; Hinata had to have some freedom. It had been a few days since the accident, and Kageyama hadn't given Hinata any rest. He was always around him, hovering practically. He noticed what he was doing wrong, but...he didn't really want to stop.

He hadn't had such a close friend before, and Hinata was really starting to feel like one. He liked the way when in volleyball practice, he gave him this huge smile if they pulled off a spectacular quick. His smile was infectious, and he found himself grinning back. He thought they were getting close.

But did Hinata?

Maybe Hinata didn't actually like spending time with him. Maybe he was too bossy, too clingy. There were too many things he thought he was doing wrong. But he tried to find Hinata anyway. 

He searched the school after volleyball club ended, and all the bathrooms and everything a small kid like him could easily hide in. But no luck. 

He ran his hands through his stark black hair, and sighed slowly. He never bothered to ask how Hinata was dealing with this. Being saved by someone you just met that day must be a little confusing, and then to put him in that situation with the "you owe me" thing? It has to be-

Suddenly, Kageyama knew exactly where he was.

 

* * *

 

Hinata was sitting silently, letting the breeze pass through his hair. His eyelashes fluttered closed as he decided to take a short nap. It was so peaceful out, there was nothing else better to do. 

"Hinata, dumbass!!"

An angry call rang out from the silence, breaking Hinata's concentration on sleeping. He groaned.

He was sitting in front of the rubble from the collapsed gym, which he and Kageyama had agreed to not mention while they were around each other. But no matter how hard Hinata tried, he couldn't keep his mind off that ominous warning. He couldn't stop the questions circling around in his head like a hamster running endlessly in a plastic ball.

But now Kageyama had found him in his one safe place from the questions. Hinata didn't like throwing around the term "butthead" too lightly, but he could say without hesitation, Kageyama was being a dick.

He got up as Kageyama neared him and crossed his arms. Hinata was usually a happy person, but this whole experience opened his eyes to other emotions.

"Hey," he said, annoyed.

Panting, Kageyama slowed down and stopped in front of him. After he caught his breath, he spoke up.

"Why didn't you come to school, Hinata?" 

"I didn't feel like it."

Kageyama squinted. "You don't just skip school because you 'don't feel like it'."

"Yeah, well, I did anyway. It's too late now."

Kageyama sat down, and so did Hinata. He looked over at Kageyama, who seemed to be hiding his face. 

"What's wrong, Kageyama?" 

He touched his shoulder lightly, and Kageyama waved it away. 

"I-I know what I want you to do to pay me back. But you can't laugh, got it?!" He raised his voice unnecessarily at the end.

Hinata saw his face was flushed a light red, and he smiled. 

"Ooh~? Is Yamayama-kun embarrassed?" He grabbed his arm playfully, which made Kageyama even madder.

"Let off! Just give me a second okay?" 

Which he did. Once Kageyama was done hiding his face, he turned to Hinata and said words that Hinata never knew could come out of that vulgar mouth.

"I want you to continue being my friend. For as long as we are around each other."

This took a second to render in Hinata's mind, and he just blankly stared at Kageyama. 

Hinata wasn't known for his smoothness, as was Kageyama. But when they were put together, they could reach a surprising level of confidence, if they had each other.

He liked Kageyama. Now that he really pondered the question of whether or not Kageyama was friend worthy, he realized he wasn't a bad person at all. Of course, the fact of his attractive face didn't hurt at all.

He looked back over at Kageyama, who had found consolation in staring at the palms of his hands, anxiously biting his lip. He had probably never done something like that before, confessing that he wanted to keep someone as a friend.

Hinata stood up and offered his hand to Kageyama. The boy looked up from his current occupation and grabbed it, letting Hinata pull him up, which was quite a struggle.

But Hinata didn't let go after that. Continuing to pull him up, he yanked him into a small, yet comforting hug, his face buried in his chest. Hinata could feel Kageyama's heart beating, he thought, in surprise, but mostly for a different reason. After a few elongated seconds, Kageyama finally put his arms around the smaller teammate, and it felt like a week long breath that had been held was finally released as he breathed out into Hinata's hair, making him giggle a bit as it tickled his scalp. There were many words that could describe this exchange. Somebody might call it awkward, silent, or frightening, even. But the only word the two volleyball players would describe it as, was literally breathtaking.

The hug only lasted for 20 seconds, if that, but it felt like an eternity. After they pulled away, with subtle resistance, they walked back to their own homes, waving to one another as they parted, the feeling of being so close to another person still lingering in their chests. As for Hinata, it was especially prominent. 

He walked through his front door, dazed, almost as if he was drunk, but drunk on ecstasy. It was only 7 p.m., so he decided to eat dinner and take a long shower before going to bed. Tomorrow would be a big day, after all. They would be playing against Aoba Jousai for practice, and he had to get his rest. 

But who could sleep after that encounter?

He picked up his phone and texted Kenma, his friend from Nekoma. And if he knew Kenma, he'd probably be up playing video games, like he usually was when he texted him around this time of evening.

 

**2016, September 5th.**

_sent 7:03 p.m. ✓_

kenma r u busy??

 

_sent 7:08 p.m. ✓_

nope what's up shouyou

 

_sent 7:09 p.m. ✓_

lots of tjings! it was a rly excitiing daay!

 

_sent 7:11 p.m. ✓_

u need to calm down, ur typos are getting out of control. and that's good, what happened

 

Hinata had turned off his phone, leaving Kenma to wonder where he had went for over an hour. 

But Hinata was exhausted from the days events, although he hadn't gone to school, he had been practicing volleyball all day with the women's club, evading the questions about whether school was cancelled today. He took several bites of the dinner his mother had made, rinsed off his hair, then collapsed on his bed, smiling widely. Kageyama was a good friend, he thought.

He would be nicer if he didn't call him dumbass all the time, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cue my crappy attempt at trying to add a p&r reference.


	9. Smirr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys haven't already heard, on 10/10 Ukai Keishin's seiyuu (Kazunari Tanaka) died of brain stem hemorrhage. When I found out I was totally shocked that such an amazing person died so quickly. It reminds me of just how quick an important life can slip out of your life.  
> He was an incredible person, and he will always live on in his characters. We all hope his family is doing well, and that they are coping just as we are. And also, I'd like to remind you that you mean something. Maybe not just to me, but to many other people. I'd like to thank you for making it this far, and you're doing great.

Snores and quiet murmuring could be heard throughout the entirety of the school bus as the team headed back from the practice match with Aoba Jousai. Sensei and Coach Ukai were sitting up front, discussing what they had seen. Most of the teammates were sleeping peacefully, unaware of the gentle rain hitting the window panes of the bus repeatedly.

Although, there was one team member that was completely awake and watching the drops silently.

Hinata had gotten extremely close with Kageyama since the incident, and now the hug seemed to make them even closer. They had won the match against Aoba Jousai, and that was terrific, of course. But the tension was high. Kageyama gave him good tosses, and Hinata spiked the ball the best he could, but something was missing. Something from their relationship. Hinata found himself wanting more. 

Maybe it was because he was selfish, or just the fact that he  _still_ thought Kageyama was attractive enough to be a magazine cover model. He looked over at him, eyes wandering curiously.

Kageyama's eyes were shut tight, and his large hands were resting on his thighs, with his fingers moving, almost as if he was setting volleyballs in his sleep. 

 _He's such a nerd,_ Hinata thought, amused. He reached for the hands, possibly to still them himself, or just to give Kageyama comfort; either way, he was unaware of this fact and touched them slightly.

His hands were cold, and Hinata wrapped his hands around Kageyama's in attempt to warm them up. Hinata wasn't embarrassed in the slightest, he found. Holding his best friend's hands didn't come as a shock to him, just another step forward in their "relationship". But he never knew what Kageyama thought about his actions. The only reaction he got from him was a pull on the hair, or a light smack in the face. It was all fun and games, really. 

Hinata inched closer to the sleeping body, and soon he was close enough to hear the steady breathing puttering out of Kageyama's slightly open mouth. The smell of sweat and a hint of damp sock reached Hinata's nostril, which made him recoil for a second to wipe his nose. Hinata liked him anyway, stench and all. 

His hazel eyes wandered some more, then finally rested on his lips. They looked soft, like smooth icing on a cake. He leaned forward and gently pressed his thumb on his lower lip, rubbing it. As suspected, it was smooth.

For a split second, Kageyama's eyes opened, and Hinata almost jumped out of the bus, but it was only something in his sleep, and he shortly closed them again, murmuring something.

Hinata rarely expressed his true emotions to Kageyama. He wish he could more often, but all that was on Kageyama's mind was volleyball. There was no way Hinata would ever cross his thoughts.

He glanced back at his lips again, and peered around the seat. By now, the coach and Sensei were fast asleep, along with the rest of the bus. It was just him. He focused his gaze on his mouth, pinpointing exactly where his would hit-almost like he did with a spike-to make sure he didn't hit anywhere else. Then, he leaned in.

Never once did Hinata close his eyes. He wanted to make sure Kageyama didn't wake up, and if he did, so he could pull away immediately. But nothing of that sort happened, and the dull flavor of his parted lips reached his tongue. At this distance, Hinata could bat his eyelashes and Kageyama's hair would move, in the most subtle fashion. Hinata wouldn't even call it a kiss, really. It was more like a tiny pressing of the mouths together. But he loved every second, for he knew Kageyama would never even let him get this close to him any other second of the day. So he breathed out, hoping with all his heart Kageyama wouldn't wake up and oh god if he did he would be buried alive.

_(having fun? too bad it won't last much longer.)_

Hinata practically choked on Kageyama's breath as he pulled away hard, accidentally pressing his hand too hard on Kageyama's leg where it was resting, resulting in a loud  _hack_  and a deathly glarefrom the raven haired boy.

"Hinata, so help me if I don't know what you were doing right at this moment I swear to  _god_ I will-"

Hinata took his hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry, Kageyama. I just...wanted to know what it was like."

"What  _what_ was like?!" Hinata could tell Kageyama was getting restless, and was already ten times grumpier than he usually was.

He shook his head. "Just forget about it. It wasn't important, and you're not going to die."

 

* * *

 

Kageyama looked down at Hinata's hand, which was clutching his. It was surprisingly warm, compared to his own. Though small, it packed loads of energy, and he could feel it trembling slightly. 

He looked over at him. Hinata's eyes were fixed on somewhere out the window, and just now did he notice it was raining. Not from looking outside, but at the reflection in Hinata's eyes. 

He decided to ask something that had been bothering him since the hug they had shared. "Hey, um. Hinata?"

"Yeah?" 

It was like the sun had just popped out of the many rain clouds that were gathered in the sky when Hinata turned around. The previous mood had been completely erased and replaced with Hinata's ever lingering brightness. He was so eager to hear what Kageyama had to say, it startled him. 

"Eh..Hinata. Have I said anything to make you feel bad? I mean, I sent you good tosses today, right? I thought they were good but I'm not sure if they were good by your standards-"

Hinata groaned. "Do you ever shut  _up_ about volleyball!?" 

Kageyama stopped and stared at him.

He rubbed his forehead in a way that made him seem like an old man, and sighed.

"Honestly, Kageyama. I really like you. I like being your friend." By now even Kageyama could tell Hinata was embarrassed saying so much, but he continued anyway.

"You're mean and everything but..I can tell you don't mean it. You're soft behind all those walls you put up to make it seem like you hate everyone. Especially me. But you don't hate me, right?" Those eyes again. Kageyama could get seriously lost in those eyes, and not even in a romantic sense.

He gulped nervously. "Do..I have to answer that?"

The answer to that was obviously clear, as Hinata dug his nails into Kageyama's hand and faced the window once more, leaving Kageyama to wince and awkwardly walk up to the coach for a bandaid or two. And by the time he got back, Hinata had moved seats. 

Kageyama was quite unsure of what he had said to make him so offended, but this was making him feel like shit. Just in the first two minutes they were apart.

He was starting to notice a small difference in the way he felt about Hinata, and he was starting to welcome it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter slowly went downhill PS SMUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!  
> HOW DID U GUYS LIKE THE NEW HQ S3 EPISODES?? WERE U AS HYPED AS I WAS MANNN


	10. Lacheism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah theres not gonna be any smut in this chapter..........maybe next? read end notes pls!

_Lacheism: the desire to be struck by a disaster._

 

Hinata laid down on his bed, slightly damp from the rain, and curled into a fetus position, completely exhausted from the day's activities.

The feeling of the sheets clutched under Hinata's hand was all he wanted to feel. Nothing else seemed appealing at the present moment. He let himself drift into slumber, exhaling slowly.

Things were different when his eyes were shut tight, closed off to the rest of the universe, his thoughts, his conflicts. They just faded away into the darkness that was just behind his eyelids, though immediately ready to surface at a moment's notice. He was painfully aware of this fact, but nonetheless tried to focus on...not focusing.

He inhaled, and let himself unravel into little pieces, each part drifting down, where there wouldn't be any way of putting himself back together. He imagined himself falling apart like this for a while, until there wasn't anything left but his skeleton, curled up in the same position as he had started out to be in. Only then could he truly relax. This was one of his ways of getting calm in general, especially before big matches. At his old high school, before he transferred to Karasuno, there wasn't anyone like Daichi or Nishinoya to help settle his jittering nerves, so he had to come up with a way to solve it himself.

But there was always a teensy drawback to this method, and it hadn't shown any signs of fading.

He would get into a mood, almost depressed-like, and he wouldn't get out of it until the thing he had been nervous or worrying about was over, or solved. Sometimes, it was hard to stop worrying. The anxieties pile up, further and further, and he starts to climb, trying desperately to reach the top, hoping just to dislodge one of the insecurities, problems, or worries. But they're stuck, and they're stuck for a long time. 

His eyes snapped open. Something fell from the pile.

He sat up, frantically searching for his phone which he had left on the kitchen counter when he got home. Seemingly unable to find his phone, he plopped back down on his bed, discouraged and disappointed, but aware. Something had dislodged his pile, and he knew it hadn't been his own thoughts. Maybe someone had creeped in there without him knowing, pushing down his dreaded pile silently.

A thunderous and sudden knock at the window resulted in Hinata falling off his bed not so gracefully, and while he was on the floor ( as he hadn't peeked at the window to see who, or what, it was ), he grabbed a spare volleyball and stood up, rushing towards the window blindly, screeching a battle cry and slamming the window repeatedly, hoping the intruder had fallen off the windowsill. He opened his eyes cautiously, and almost choked on his laughter.

There was the "prince" Kageyama, gripping on tight to the windowsill, still in his uniform from hours before, and soaking wet, with a nasty look on his face. He jabbed at the window pane, motioning for Hinata to open it, which he did.

Hinata helped him get in, and Kageyama nearly strangled the poor boy as soon as he was inside, but let go of him, looking as if he needed to say something.

Hinata peeked at Kageyama, who still hadn't said a word. He was hiding behind his large hand, wiping off the droplets on his face at the same time. Then, he stared at Hinata.

"What did I do," he coughed, "you know, earlier. In the bus."

Hinata inhaled. "You've been thinking about that all this time..?" 

Kageyama crossed his arms and looked around Hinata's room, seemingly embarrassed. "N-No..I just don't want you being upset about it tomorrow, and then not being able to practice." He tapped his toes against the ground, his shoes making a _slosh_ sound.

Hinata noticed and told Kageyama to sit down while he got some extra clothes. He came back to see him setting to himself with the volleyball Hinata had used in a flash of panic. He laid the clothes in front of him and sat down, facing the other way.

"I'm..not mad." 

"Are you sure?"

A rustle of fabric of the sweatpants against skin.

He blinked. "Uh..yeah."

"You hesitated."

The grunt and the slight breeze of the shirt being yanked over his hair.

"I'm just trying to help, okay? We're friends now. At least..I thought so."

Hinata rubbed his forehead, which he seemed to be doing a lot lately.

"Of course we are. I mean, I tried being serious with you, but." A long sigh. "Don't you take anything non-volleyball related seriously? Is this why you aren't good at making friends?" 

Silence from behind Hinata's back, and he gulped.

"Ah, um. Sorry, I.."

"No. You're right."

Kageyama turned Hinata around, gripping his shoulders, staring intently at him. The clothes were a tad too small, but fit decently, enough to the point where the sweatpants cuffed his thighs nicely, and the shirt was plastered on skin tight, still a bit damp from being in the rain. Hinata was still sitting down, and Kageyama's presence was quite literally towering over him. He felt slightly pressured, but maybe a little mesmerized.

"Since I met you, I didn't know a thing about friendships, or how to make them, or what to do even if I did somehow make a friend. But you have been a big help to me. You've changed the way I look at a volleyball, how I set." He stopped at Hinata's small glare, and continued. "But also aside from, eh..volleyball, I think meeting you was a positive thing in my life." He patted Hinata's head awkwardly, making him chuckle.

"Thanks, Yamayama-kun." He pulled Kageyama's hand off of his head. "You don't have to keep it there, you know."

Kageyama flushed red. "I'm sorry..I don't know how this stuff usually works."

Hinata shrugged. "It's fine. So..are you planning on staying the night or what?" 

Kageyama looked around, eyes landing on volleyball related posters and books. "Um. I guess. I'll sleep on the floor, if I have to."

Hinata shook his head. "It gets cold in my house. The best option — if you don't mind, that is — is sleeping in my bed."

Quite obviously, this was not the only best option.

Kageyama rubbed the back of his head, debating internally. Hinata watched him mumble to himself for quite a while, then he suddenly yelled a response, making Hinata jump.

"I DON'T MIND!" he called out. Realizing it wasn't just him in this house, he covered his mouth, as if doing so would undo the damage. 

Hinata rubbed his ears and stood up, grabbing another blanket for his friend. "Alright, Bakageyama. No need to yell." He thrusted the blanket into his chest with a sly grin. "I'm a blanket hog. You're gonna need this."

Kageyama took it and watched Hinata get into bed, and as soon as he was comfortable, he followed, mirroring his exact movements.

"You've never been over to someone's house before, have you?" 

Kageyama jerked even further to the side of the bed. "No."

The situation with the bed was an interesting one. Hinata had dreadfully miscalculated Kageyama's body mass, and was just barely hanging on to the edge. If he turned over even an inch, he would be face to face with Kageyama's extremely muscular back. Not that he was complaining, of course. But he was complaining about the amount of blanket there was, for there was three layers of blankets now, and Hinata tended to get hot during the night easily, even if the nights were cold. He couldn't just get rid of one of the blankets after he told Kageyama he was a blanket hog, so he decided to just grin and bear it. To add onto this predicament, Kageyama was sizeably big, bigger than Hinata was. If Kageyama decided to turn over, he would crush Hinata to a pulp. 

There were lots of things wrong with this scenario, but Hinata was sleeping next to Kageyama. That balanced it all out.

He sighed contentedly, and pulled the blanket over his shoulders. "I can tell. You seem uncomfortable."

"I'm not uncomfortable."

"Whatever you say."

Silence.

"Hey, Hinata?"

"What?"

"Um..this might seem weird, but can I have a glass of milk? It helps me fall asleep."

"...You're right, it is weird. Gimme a sec." Hinata hopped out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen, pouring a glass of milk. He looked into his room and found that Kageyama wasn't laying in the bed anymore, which, needless to say, frightened him. He put the carton away and waddled into his room, peeking into the corners, waiting for Kageyama to jump out any second. But he didn't. He peered under the bed, ready to karate chop his handsome face, but he wasn't waiting under there either. He glanced at his window, and breathed out sadly.

It was wide open, with handprints on the glass pane, a sign of hurrying. He stuck his head out the window. 

"You could've just told me you didn't like me!" he shouted, feeling a tad upset that he couldn't make Kageyama feel at home here. Sadness overwhelmed him.

"What the hell are you yelling at, dumbass?"

Hinata whipped around, and stared at Kageyama. "Wh-"

"I went to take a piss. Did you really think I just left out the window?" 

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm grateful you didn't leave." He waddled toward Kageyama happily, reaching his arms around him. 

His hug was cut short as Kageyama grabbed his arms and held them above his head, looking as grouchy as ever. "Go to sleep. You're exhausted." And turned him around, patting his back to make him move.

And as soon as Hinata hit the sheets, he blacked out, and the pile came back to his mind.

 

_He walked around the pile of dirt, it seemed, for a long time, examining every grain of soil, reaching inside to possibly make it crumble away, or erode, or whatever this would do. As he reached inside, another hand grabbed his, a cold, damp hand, taking hold of his smaller and warmer one, not letting go for a second. He wasn't scared. He welcomed this presence. It was always him in this realm. Nobody visited, except maybe the dark figure watching him from behind, judging his every move. But this one was different. Although it was clammy, the hand was...reassuring. It almost seemed to want to guide him away from the pile, away from the dark and ominous pile of worries. He welcomed this hand. He wanted to walk around, to see who this hand belonged to, but the pile blocked his way. It always did, and always will._

_He sighed, and let go of the hand, the touch of the fingers wrapped around his still lingering._ Maybe next time,  _he dreamt, and looked up at the leering pile, that taunted him._

_And he dove in head first._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been a while??? sorry i havent been updating omf ive been so busy with finals and just school in general, and updating has become so hard for me yikes  
> but im back woo!


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